Nose (according to the wife): It’s sweet! Molasses, raisins, and fresh oak stand out.

Palate: Just as the nose teases, the palate is full of molasses and raisins. Some kind of fruit jam is hanging out but I can’t quite pin down what it is. There are some notes of hazelnut sprinkled in here as well as some traces of cinnamon. The mouthfeel is thin and a bit oily. The sherry influence isn’t as strong as I would have hoped, which is a shame. Not a whole lot changes after adding a bit of water, though the cinnamon seemingly disappears.

Finish: Finish is medium in length with the same notes as below. A bit of fresh oak pops up near the end as well.

Conclusion: For being named “Sherry Oak”, I was hoping for a bit more of a sherry bomb. While there is some influence there, it leaves you wishing for more. Perhaps Kavalan’s quick aging process could still use some more tweaking. Still, the layers of flavor in the palate are pleasant—especially the raisin and cinnamon. Overall this reminded me of a “light” Glendronach Cask Strength and is a nice step up from the basic Kavalan whisky.

Final Score: 84

World Whisky review #9, Taiwanese whisky review #2, Whisky Network Review #37

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection.
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead